Collaborative Teaching Updates

Term 3 Week 5 Update
Over the past few weeks Rooms 20 and 21 have been working hard to create our assembly presentation. We each chose the role we would like in the assembly and rehearsed our lines and actions. On Friday it was so exciting to see the finished product on the stage! We got to work with different groups of children to create our scene as well as sing the song as a big group. Keeping in time with the music and our peers was quite tricky. Our assembly showed our collaborative community because all parts of our classes were part of it - children, teachers and even some parents!

Term 3 Week 1 Update
This week Rooms 20 and 21 are collaborating on our whole class big book activities. Each student is given the option of hearing the big book in either Room 20 or Room 21. After reading there is a targeted activity to develop their understanding of the concept that has been covered. This week the books there has been a focus on 'The Magic School Bus'.

Term 2 Week 10 Update
This week Rooms 20 and 21 have been collaborating on our strand maths. As a group we have split in two based on our shape and measurement pre-test. Each day we cover a new area of shape and measurement. We have been enjoying working towards our needs in a cross grouping environment. 

Term 2 Week 7 Update
This week we spent an hour and a half with Jacque Allen to share what we have been doing on our collaborative journey. We reflected on the changes we have made to our Writing and Maths programmes and the impact this has had on student agency. Our current planning allows for children to select workshops in both based on their goal. Mr Buchan and I have led focused workshops to help children across the classes to develop their skill and understanding of their goal. These goals had been created with the student to ensure ownership. It has been really successful and there is a real learning atmosphere in the classrooms. 

Term 2 Week 5 Update
Today Meadowbank School had a teacher only day with a focus collaborative teaching pedagogies. We had the opportunity to visit other schools to observe their collaborative practice. Mrs. Wheeler went to St Thomas's School and Mr. Buchan went to Ellerslie School. During our visits we observed practice in action and had the opportunity to ask questions of the teachers and leadership team. Following the visits we were able to come together as a group to share our findings and reflect on our own practices. We discussed what we would like to implement in our rooms and some possible next steps. 

Term 2 - Week 4 Update
This week Rooms 20 and 21 have been lucky to have our writing teacher session with Mr Buchan in his room. This has given us the opportunity to get to know Mr Buchan and allows him to gain a better understanding of our learning needs. We are also starting our collaborative warm up activities in maths.

Term 2 - Week 3 Update
Rooms 20 and 21 are continuing to collaborate on our writing this week, introducing a new topic narratives. From next week we will incorporate our collaborative strategies from writing into our maths program where we will run targeted warm up activities, based on children maths goals. It has been fun to share our ideas with a different room.  

Term 2 - Week 1 Update
This term Room 20 and 21 are continuing with our collaborative writing lessons. We are starting each writing session by having targeted writing workshops focusing on our goals in each classroom. We have streamlined our planning to help us with our writing routines. This will make it easier to work between classes.

Term 1 Updates:
During Week 6 the Year 3 team had a goal setting meeting with Jacque Allen around our collaborative practice. We reviewed how for collaboration to be effective we need to have open and honest communication. We discussed our vision for the rest of the term around collaborative teaching and the steps we will take to achieve it. This term our main collaborative focus is Writing. 

Over the past 6 weeks Room 20 and 21 have been collaborating on our writing programs. Together we have been sharing best teacher practice and resources during our collaborative time. We have planned for, taught and reflected on the strategies we have used during shared and guided writing. As the school year continues we are looking forward to developing this further and building on the successes we have had in other learning areas.